Bradley loses its mascot appeal to NCAA
Organization says 'Braves' is hostile, abusive; University of Illinois' appeal still pending

The NCAA on Thursday denied Bradley University's appeal of its inclusion on a list of schools with banned Native American mascots, saying the nickname Braves "leads to a hostile or abusive environment."

It was the first decision on an appeal from a school without a namesake tribe from which it could cite support.
"Clearly, no Native American tribe 'owns' the word 'Braves' in the same way it owns the name of a tribe, and therefore (Bradley) cannot overcome the position that the use of such a name leads to a hostile or abusive environment," said a statement from NCAA vice president Bernard Franklin.
He added, "The term 'Braves' is among those many Native Americans find objectionable in athletic settings."
The decision means the school will not be allowed to host NCAA postseason events and cannot display its nickname during those events. Bradley had already stopped using a Native American mascot and imagery, according to the NCAA's statement.
The university issued a brief statement offering no reaction and saying it is "considering its options, which could include an appeal."
The appeal decision was made by staff at the NCAA's Indianapolis headquarters. The school can appeal further to the Executive Committee, the NCAA's highest policy-making group, comprised of school presidents.
The Executive Committee is the same group that originally instituted the policy.
In August, after four years of studying the issue, the NCAA announced a list of 18 schools whose Native American mascots were deemed to be "hostile and abusive."
Within weeks, Florida State (Seminoles), Central Michigan (Chippewas) and Utah (Utes) appealed, citing support from local tribes, and were taken off the list.
North Dakota (Fighting Sioux) lost its appeal, primarily because none of the state's three Sioux tribes supported the nickname to the NCAA.
There are three pending appeals: Newberry College, S.C. (Indians), Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indians) and the University of Illinois (Illini). The NCAA hasn't set a deadline for appeals, but the policy goes into effect Feb. 1.